Scarlet Manipulations
by CommodoreOblivious
Summary: Guy of Gisbourne is so easy to manipulate.


Disclaimer: This is a work of fanfiction with no claim to any rights of Robin Hood. They belong to BBC and the creators. I heartily thank them for this brilliant work and wish only to show my appreciation. This in no way is making any money.

He was so easy to manipulate, she thought as she turned her face away from his hungry gaze. He needed her friendship, her acceptance, her love. He needed them like he needed water or air. He would do anything for a kind word or a gentle touch. She had to keep herself from smiling. This proud, furious man was completely under her heel.

He called her name, softly, his voice a harsh rasp. She looked up at him again. He was so tall. Taller than Robin and much more broad across the shoulders. His frost blue eyes implored her to do what she found impossible, but teased him with continually. His gloved hand came up to caress her face and she lowered her eyes as if shy. She could almost feel his heart pounding in his chest and that power over him put a thrill in her blood.

Was this what the Sheriff felt whenever he persuaded Guy to do what he wanted? The thought should have disgusted her, but her mind was otherwise occupied with the adrenaline singing in her veins. Perhaps this was just the power of women, to turn men head over heels out of their own control and into the woman's. She never felt like this with Robin, however. The very sight of the outlaw put fire into her soul, but only disobeying his requests gave her this satisfaction- this excitement.

His fingers stopped just short of her skin. He paused, frozen with indecision. Another glance at his pale eyes showed the warring emotions he struggled with. Emotions that only she could make him feel. He wanted her with all his being and yet, he felt unworthy of her. She could feel the corners of her mouth turning up in a foolish reflection of her triumph over him. Before she could turn it to her advantage or dash the smile away completely, he caught sight of it and was suddenly across the room in a storm of black leather.

"You are too cruel, Marian," he told the wall, "You encourage my... feelings for you and then scorn them. What do you want from me?" His voice as low and dark. Anyone else would have been apprehensive at the sound of it, but she knew what hid under that dangerous tone. He was confused. He was frustrated. He knew what he wanted, but couldn't put it into words, didn't know how to get it without the violence Vaisey conditioned him to rely on.

Marian took in the tense line of his back and the flexing of his fingers into fists by his sides. She knew what he wanted her to say, what he dared hope she would say, and she dangled it in front of him as she would twine to a cat.

Crossing the room, she placed her hand upon his arm. He turned his face to look at her, dark hair falling over his brow. How easy it was to mold his emotions as she pleased. The confusion and anger that had raged in his eyes were gone. Now there was that gleam of hope and shine of love and adoration.

"Friendship," she said with finality. She enjoyed watching as the hope virtually dimmed. He blinked and pale blue eyes were suddenly filled only with shadows.

"You have it. You've always had that and more, Marian. I had hoped-" he broke off desperately and moved away from her again. Her fingers slipped along the soft leather of his sleeve until he was fully gone from the space in front of her.

She knew what he had hoped and had to stop herself from laughing at the ridiculous notion. He wanted to marry her. He'd hinted at it before, many times. Given her gifts to win her affections and show her his wealth. She couldn't have cared less, about either but she enjoyed what it did to him to take his gifts and then neglect to put them to use. She claimed that the trinkets were too valuable to her and that she feared their abuse, but really, she relished in the disappointment and hurt he seemed to radiate when he noticed their absence. She knew he blamed himself- thought that it was his own failure to find something that she liked. It only made it so much sweeter to deny him.

"Sir Guy, you are a good man. No woman could be prouder to have a friend such as you."

Her words were equally soothing and cutting. He sighed and the fight left him. His shoulders set and she cold see that he'd resigned himself to friendship, at least for the moment. "Thank you, Marian. It is not in my nature to be good. It is for you that I do these things." He looked at her, lips twitching in the slightest of smiles. "You're friendship," he stumbled over the word, " is invaluable to me."

His smile always reminded her of a kicked puppy- unsure and vulnerable. He reserved it for her eyes only. Any other woman would feel privileged to see it- not even the wenches he took to his bed were privy to it. Instead, Marian felt only disgust. The Sheriff's Master-at-Arms was nothing but a love-struck fool. A fool that anyone could play with if one simply offered him love. Fortunately, only the Sheriff and she knew this secret and they both kept it to themselves, better guarded than the gold collected for taxes.

There was a call from the corridor- a guard seeking Sir Guy. The Sheriff required his presence. He frowned at the door, but quickly recovered. "Marian," he murmured, taking her soft hand in his larger, gloved one, "I must go."

She gave him a small smile, a gift that she knew he relished. "I understand. Go. Do not keep him waiting."

He nodded, dark hair falling into his face, again. "Until later," he said. He closed his eyes and took a breath. When he opened them again, the pale frost of his irises had hardened into ice. Suddenly, he was the harsh and hard left hand of the Sheriff of Nottingham. The man she had seen just moments before, the man who gave his heart to her in vain time and again was still there, under the surface of that ice. She only had to say one word and he'd be on his knees in front of her, willing to do all that she asked of him.

She let him go, however. As she watched his leather clad back depart, she could only wonder what task Vaisey would set him to. It was almost a game they played- with Sir Guy as their pawn. She would make her move, using kind words and promises of love. Guy honestly believed she could make an honest, good man out of him. At the same time, Vaisey took advantage of the younger man's belief that he was somehow inherently bad. He promised love and acceptance through power and wealth- and only offered them if he did everything the Sheriff commanded.

One of these days, she mused, the game would get one of them killed. It was dangerous to play with such an unstable man- that was part of the thrill- and one day one of them would push him too far. Marian was positive that Sir Guy would never hurt her- could never hurt her- and looked forward to the day Vaisey would fall. Perhaps her father could reclaim his position as Sheriff.

Marian left the room with a secret smile on her face. Perhaps Robin would come to visit this evening...


End file.
